Coupler for mine cars



Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,616

A. D. KOONTZ ET AL COUPLER FOR MINE CARS Filed June 30, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS I 1 0111' A TTORNE Y.

Aug. 21, 1928. I 1 ',681,616

A. D. KOONTZ ET AL COUPLER FOR MINE c ARs Filed June so, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 01 II 00111 H R-Ko Z A TTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 21, 1928 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT n. KOONIZ AND AIURIAN :a. Koonrz, or CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA;

CLARA B. KOON'IZ, EXECUTBIX or SAID AIDRIAN n. KOONTZ, DECEASED, AS- sreuons OF ONE-THIRD ro CHARLES LUCAS.

COUPLER FOR MINE CARS.

Application filed June. 30,

.plings, and the general object of the invention isto provide a coupling device for mine cars which will provide means for locklng the coupling pirr in a raised position whenthe coupling is effected and automatically'causmg the dropping of-the pin into place. A further object is to' provide a buffer against which the coupling strikes when the cars are coupled to thereby take up the shock and jar. v Still another object isrto provide a construction of thischaracter wherein the coupling pin is adapted to be raised by a lever and automatically held in t-hls raised position until the coupling link is inserted inthe coupling head, whereupon thep n s released.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where1n:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a coupling constructed in accordance with our invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view with the upper wall of the coupling removed; V

Figure 4 is a section on the same line as Figure 2 but .showing thepin raised.

Referring to these drawings, designates a coupling head which is bolted or otherwise attached to the] car. This coupling head is formed with a transversely enlarged chamber 11 at its forward end and with a spring chamber 12 extending rearward from the chamber 11 and formed with the'inwardly extending buffer stops 13." r

Disposed at the mouth of the coupling and within the chamber 11 are the somewhat angular bumper arms '14 which are pivoted at 15 and have their inner faces so formed as to provide a, protuberant portion 16 which merges into a slight recess or concavlty and then gradually, extends rearward and outward,'as at 17, A spring 18 having two arms is mounted within the chamber 11 in conjunction with each bumper arm and bears against the corresponding bumper arm so that these springs urge the bumper arms outward. Operating withinthe chamber 12 and fitversely. extending web 22.

ting the same is the head 20 of a pin 21. This pin 21 ,eil'tends rearward through the chamber 12 and through an aperture in a trans- The' rear end of this pin beyond the web 22 is intersected by a 1927. .Serial N0. 202,634.

compression spring 241 which urges the head i of the pin 20 forward. The forward end of the head 20 is downwardly and inwardly cut away at 25 andbelow this cut-away portion 1s formed with the inwardly extending recess 26.. A somewhat semi-circular; aperture27 extends downward through the head 20 and the wall. of this aperture is formed with the ledge 28. The upper wall of the chamber 10 is formed with an aperture 29, and operatlng through this aperture is a coupling pin 30, the lower end of which is tapered.

The lower wall of the chamber 11 is formed with an aperture or seat 31 for this coupling pin 30. Forward of the aperture for the pin 30, the upper and lower walls of the chamber 11 are curved outward and upward to provide a mouth 32 the'curved face of the upper wall coincidingrwith the: curved face 25 on the head 20. The coupling pin is mounted upon a lever 34, which in turn'is mounted upon a transverserock shaft 35 which may be connected to any suitablehandle or other means whereby the pin may be lifted. This'transverse rock sh aft is mounted in a wall 36 which extends forward bcyond'the pin 30 and then transversely, as at 37. This wall 36 and 37 is attached to the upper face of the coupling head lO invany suitable manner, as by screws.

bolts or rivets. Theinner faces of the walls 36 are longitudinally grooved, as at'38, and the transverse pin 39 that extends through the coupling pm has its ends operating in these grooves so as to act as a guide for the coupling pin. The coupling pin, of course. is adapted to engage any ordinary link, designated 40 in the drawings. It will be noted that the downwardly inclined face 25 of the buffer head 20 termi nates in a recess 26 which is large enough-to receive the link 40 so that the link is guided into-position within the coupling head by the inclined faces 32at the end of the coupling head and then is guided downward into this recess 26 by the inclined face 25. A further inward movement of the link 40,of course,

of the recess 26 of head 20, the coupling-i pin will forcethis head 20 back againstthe action of the spring 2d, and this releases the coupling pin, which tells downward through the link 40 and the coupling is, of course, auto v nieticelly effected. The linlr 4O ;piislies;ba1cl Ward on the head 20 until this head strikes against the butter stops 13. TvVhenthu li'nlt enters the eouplng head, the link Willpush I laterally upon the protuberant portions 166i the lminper arms M, pushingthese arms in? Ward against the action of the springs 18. When it is desired to unconple the car', tlie pin 30 is 'i zii'sed'byniean's of theshaft 35'. It will he understood that the head 20 constitutes a cast iron hi'iii'er which yieldingly resists the inward movement oi' he link 40 and constitutes also 51 latch supporting'the pin' 30in its e'd p'osi isniade "of cast steel except, of course, the springsg" 1 ihe device is very simple, thoroughly efi ectiv'e for the purpose intended, is automatic in its action, and the butter formed by the head 20 constitutes means whereby a jar is cushioned. i

"In oon'pl' on. The entire coupling head pler heard o'pemtene end for the reception of e--lin-l:-,--the heed being vertically apertured,

oppositely disposed angulnrbulnper arms pivoted at their forward ends insziidopening in vthecoupler head, the bumper ui'ms hziving their rear ends uiiged' men-d each other by springs nnd suid bumper arms acting, to cen ter a link disposed ithin the coupler head,

,pin insertiblethrough said aperture, a buffer shdebly mounted Withm the coi-iplinghcad, a, spring resisting rearward m-o'veinent of the'huifer, the butler having-m do'wn weeii e th'elink, the=incli1ied ince being inardly 'i HC'llllUtl end recessed to 1 re tei'sected by ii slot for the coupling pinend the slot being formed to provide sledge to sn 1 ort the con nlin' Dlil in arais'edo'osition' a coiipliiigpin e'ictendii'i lieadiind adapted to eng'e in the head, "and manually operable means at one side of thecoupling head wherebyfthe Spin n'miybe'rziised. I I

' 1h testiinony whereof We hereiinto aiii'x our signatures. J

n thro n gh the ALBERT D. Koontz, ,AIVDRIAN Koon'rs.

the lhrk inserted 

